“Greece and India can act as bulwark against Erdogan. Joint military exercises in the Indian ocean and the Aegean Sea would constitute a warning to Turkey and Pakistan.”
– Leonidas Chrysanthopolous
(Former Greek Ambassador to Canada, Poland and Armenia)
India and Greece: A Partnership of Millennium
From the connection between Greek Gods residing on Mount Olympus and Indian counterparts residing at Mount Kailash; from the Ambrosia being regarded as the unlimited nectar of ages to Amrita being regarded as its Indian counterpart; from connection between historical underpinnings that explored a soul’s final destination to exploring one’s life’s purpose beyond all materialism; from connections that lay the foundation of democratic values, constitutionalism, ethical morality, traditional and civilisational preservation and continuation, justice, equity and good conscience; from connecting tenets of populace welfare, socialist democratic inter-linkages, and worshiping nature as a part of one’s own body (which is regarded as a temple, in all scriptural understandings)- India and Greece are partners by nature and nurture, quintessentially becoming one in tradition and modernity, much beyond the understanding of today’s surface-level diplomacy that is practiced by innumerable world leaders.
A partnership that is not rooted in long lasting common objectives, traditional underpinnings, and civilisationally shared values can never last; and a partnership that is so rooted in all its beauty- is the one that cannot ever be hampered by modern -day challenges of intricately connected international interests, climate change, backstabbing international partners, et al. The Sun God Helios’ chariot in the Greek historical folk lores is carried by seven bulls, and the Sun God’s chariot is the Indian scriptural indications is carried out by seven horses. This shows how beautifully and extensively connected traditional values are shared and preserved in both the civilisations, and it is the carrying forward of these traditionally rooted values for making modern-day decisions, that is commonplace in both the nation-states.
Aristotle, Socrates, Plato and other Greek philosophers, along with Kautilya, VishnuGupta, Sushruta, Brihaspati et al, the Indian philosophers were the revolutionary contemporary scholars, scientists, mathematicians, geologists, astrologers, economists, diplomats, etc. who changed the whole geo-political landscape of the world and ushered in social and scientific revolutions. Trade relations and economic relations also started prospering between India and Greece in the early 5th and 6th centuries, which led to the development of further industrial and architectural relationships. India and Greece, thus have and share a cordial relation with each other and the same can also be deciphered via the scriptural and traditional epics of both India and Greece.
It is in this light that the present diplomatic visit by the current Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi must be seen, against the ongoing backdrop of Operation Sindoor, Pakistan-Turkey-Azerbaijan nexus, Iran-Israel conflict and the larger issues that concern Greece in the same way, as they concern the Indian sovereignty against the Pakistani erroneous interests. This comprehensive overview of the Indo-Greek relationship clearly shows how inevitable it is for the Indian side, as well as the Greek side to revitalise their relationship and boost relations in further areas such as green energy, tourism and hospitality, export and import, ship building and port infrastructural rejuvenation, transport and communication, United Nation’s development and growth, overseas connect and remunerations, educational opportunities and cyber partnership to combat global digital and terrestrial terrorism menaces.
The Turkey-Greece and Indo-Pakistan Nexus: Partnerships beyond Borders
India, unlike any other nation in the world is constantly troubled by Pakistan on a number of issues, such as imposition of wrongful authority on the India’s rightful territorial and sovereign jurisdiction such as Sakshgam Valley, Gilgit Baltistan and related areas in the Jammu and Kashmir as well as Ladakh region; indulging in proxy war whereby dreaded terrorists are trained by ISI and military intelligence of the Pakistani establishment for waging self-declared war inside the territory of India especially in the Kashmir valley (hotbed areas of Anantnag, Baramullah, Kupwara, Shopian and associated Pir Panjal Ranges), enforcing its own secessionist ideology in the valley via separatist elements, drug and narcotics smuggling, waging drone warfare, without any basis, and brutally terrorising citizens of India in the name of religion (Pahalgam Terror Strike is one such example), paying money and gratification to Overground workers (OGWs) to incite the youth of the Valley for claiming ‘Azadi’ (a long lost cause- slogan for public outcry and demonstrations in the beginning of militancy in 1990’s), diplomatically raking up the issue of Kashmir (which is literally, no issue at all- since the whole territory indisputably belongs to India only), forging alliances with China and Turkey to go against India, in all ways possible, and crying foul for no reason whatsoever at diplomatic forums. The disputes and the vicious attempts that Pakistan takes to wage all kinds of warfare against the Indian jurisdiction.
Similar is the case with Greece. Greece is constantly troubled by Turkey due to a number of issues such as territorial disputes, sea disputes, water sharing, etc. Maritime boundaries, military disputes and militarisation of cyber and space operations, tensions over the control of islands in Aegean Sea, clashes over migration are other areas where both the nations clash like no other. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the maritime disputes over Aegean Sea are largely documented and a major threat to peace between Greece and Turkey. Potential hydrocarbon reserves and important elements are found between the areas which are disputed and this has led to further disagreements between both the nations, that have been forcefully and militarily tackled by the Turkish side against the Greek side. This situation is much like the Pakistan-India situation, whereby each year, each month, each day, each minute and each second- a new plan is being hatched to go against the peaceful Indian State.
Turkey also claims the militarisation of Greek islands, by the Turkish side and this has heightened tensions further, the decision of Turkish side to convert the Hagia Sophia into a mosque, which has been protested widely across Greece; whereas the growing relationship of Greece with the United States of America, France, Israel, and India has been viewed with constant suspicion by the Turkish side, additionally highlighted and heightened by the historical Greco-Turkish War of the years 1919-1922. India and Greece, thus have a lot in common apart the kind of neighbouring States that they are dealing with, respectively. India and Greece can effectively collaborate on all these issues of territorial sovereignty, jurisdiction, maritime and airspace issues, diplomatic leveraging, diplomatic and international collaborations, as well as geo-political synergisation with nations having like-minded ideologies and interests.
Parting Note: The Indian Way
India and Greece have a bilateral partnership that has stood the test of times. The meeting between the Indian NSA and his Greek counterpart in 2024 was the highlight of the relationship that both the sides share. After the Pahalgam terror attack, the visit by the Indian Prime Minister to Greece has also heightened the intensity of the relationship between both he sides. The visit was diplomatically quintessential, and a sign of cooperation in the wake of Turkey establishing a relationship with Pakistan. Nefarious attempts of Pakistan had to be kept in front on the diplomatic table of the Greek land, which also sent a message to the European Union and other Western partners. India and Greece thus, can collaborate on myriad issues (add on to this, Croatia and Cyprus), major of them being the collective combating of international and global terrorism, growth in the wake of attacks from across borders respectively, as well as strengthening internal as well as external security nexus in the light of troubling circumstances that have occupied both the nations, in the wake of extremist ideologies penetrating across jurisdictions. This will pave the way for a better and collaborative world, benefiting both India and Greece, in areas unthinkable, till now, and beyond. Jai Hind.
